Vibratone.



No. 781,885. PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905.

' F. JACKSON.

VIBRATONE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1904.

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Patented February 7, 1905.

lJNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK JACKSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

VIBRATONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,885, dated February '7, 1905.

Application filed April 25, 1904. Serial No. 204,757.

zen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Oolorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVibratones; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to'the accompanyingdrawings, and to the ligures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vibratones for use in the treatment of nervous and muscular ailments; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a spring-actuated vibratone; second, to provide acombined eccentrically-balanced weight and spring-actuated vibratone; third, to provide amechanically-operated vibratone that has a positive resilient reciprocative vibratory movement. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my improved vibratone operatively connected to an electric motor. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the vibratone. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the vibratone, partially in section and showing but a short portion of the vibratory arm. Fig. ii: is a section through one of the overbalanced wheels that actuate the vibratory arm; and Fig. 5 is a side view illustrating a modified form of spring and supportingbracket, the vibratone being in a reverse position to that shown in Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

lxeferring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a bracket, the base-plate 2 of which is adapted to be secured to a wall or table by screws 3. The free end of this bracket is provided with a flat table portion I, to which is secured one end of a spring-blade 5 by screws The spring 5 is a finely-tempered steel spring-blzule, and it is several inches in length. Its opositc end is secured by screws (5 to a step 7, that projects from a hub 8. This hub forms a journal-bearing for a shaft 9, that extends revolubly through its longitudinal center. The shaft 9 projects beyond the hub at each end, and upon each of its opposite ends unbalanced tly wheels 10 are secured. These flywhcelsare small in diameter and are made several times heavier on one side than on the oppo site side of their axial center, so as to be greatly out of balance, the object being to give a vibratory movement to the spring-bladc by rapidly rotating these fly-wheels, and while I preferably employ fly-wheels that are out of balance or are over-balanced by being heavier on one side than on the opposite side of their axis my invention contemplates any irregu larly-rotating member or irregular overbalanced or out-of-balance memberconnected to the shaft that will impart an oscillatingtremblc or rcci 'n'ocating motion to the spring. Thus an evenly-balanced fly-wheel might be mounted eecentrically to the axis of the shaft and would etlect the same result on the spring. To one end of the shaft and preferably on one of the fly-wheels I form a pulley, preferably using a grooved pulley 10, which is connected by a belt II to a suitable electric motor 12, which is operativcly positioned and connected to a source of electric-current sup ply to rotate, through the belt ll, the shaft at a high rate of speed.

Upon the hub 8 1. form two pivoting pinrcceiving lugs 12, preferablyarranging them to project from the hub at a short distance apart and at right angles to the plane of the spring-blades attachment to the hub. To these lugs l pivotally secure by a pin 13 the hub portion 1% of a pivoting coupling, the opposite end 16 of which is pivotally secured by a pin 17 to a yoke pivotal end 18, formed on the end of stem 1%) at right angles to the pivotal connection with the coupling. This coupling and the pivotal pins form a universaljoint connection with the hub. To the free end of the universal joint secure a rod 20, preferably using a piece of pipe, securing it on the stem ll). This piece of pipe may vary from about a foot to about three feet in length, and to its opposite end I secure, preferably, a rubber ball 21, which is provided with an aperture extending into it that permits the ball to be pressed tightly on the end of the pipe.

My invention, however, contemplates the use in place of this ball of any device suitable for imparting the vibratory tremble of the rod to the body. This rod and its end form a body-tapper. In the hub I form an oil-hole 22, to the entrance of which I threadedly secure an oil-cup 23, preferably arranging it on the opposite side of the hub from the pipe-coupling.

The operation of my improved vibratone is as follows: High-speed rotary motion being imparted to the shaft and out-of-balanced flywheels imparts a reciprocating resilient motion to the spring, which imparts an intense reciprocating resilient vibratory tremble to the rod and its body-tapper. The ball when under vibration is applied to the body of patients suffering from muscular and nervous troubles and is guided over the body by the rod, which is free to turn in any direction by means of its universal joint.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slight modification in the spring and supporting-bracket, the spring 5 being curved and the bracket 2 having a projecting lug 2 to which one end of the spring is secured, while its other end is secured to the step 7, as shown. In this modification the position of the vibratone is reversed and the vibratone stands at a slight angle to a horizontal plane, though it may be horizontal, if desired.

This invention is simple, durable, inexpensive to make, and makes a thoroughly practical and efficient vibratone.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vibratone, a reciprocating bod y-tapper, a rotatable shaft provided with an unbalanced weight, means for rotating said shaft, and a resilient support for said shaft and bodytapper, substantially as described.

2. In a vibratone, a fixed support, a bladespring securedat one end to said support, a hub secured to the opposite end of said spring,

a reciprocating rod, pivotally connectedto said hub by a universal joint and means for imparting a vibratory motion to said spring and body-tapper, substantially as described.

3. In a vibratone, the combination of a suitable fixed support, a spring depending from said support, a hub at the end of said spring, a shaft rotatably mounted in said hub, a rod having a pivoting end at one end, a universal joint connected at one end to the pivoting end of said rod, and to said hub at its opposite end, a body-tapper at the opposite end of said rod, and means for rotating said shaft, and means connected with said shaft for imparting a highspeed resilient vibratory movement to said body-tapper substantially as described.

a. In a vibratone, the combinationwith the bracket, of the hub, the shaft rotatabl y mounted in said hub, the fly-wheels and pulley on said shaft, a rod extending from said hub, a universal joint arranged to operatively connect one end of said rod to said hub, a rubber ball removably secured to the opposite end of said rod, a resilient connection between said hub and said bracket, and means for rotating said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK JACKSON.

WVitnesses:

Gr. SARGENT ELLIOTT, BEssIE THOMPSON. 

